LOL - a bit thick on the hyperbole, CT? We face Islamofascists who want to kill us and our nation, liberals who hate us and our nation, and professional politicans of both parties willing to sell out us and our nation to line their own wallets - yet conservatives are going to cause the destruction of much of the nation. Unbelievable.
The conservatives will never accept the achievable as acceptable performance. They want it all and they want it now. They will not accept two steps forward and one step back. They want all steps forward. What they soon achieve is three steps back followed by three more.
Your idea of the "achievable" is whatever the party leaders deign to give to us, regardless of its degree of conservatism.
I seem to recall a certain poster (OK, it was you) calling us conservatives seven shades of stupid for insisting on a legitimate conservative SC candidate instead of the Myers farce. After all, you told us small-minded conservatives, there was no way a real conservative would get approved by the Senate.
Do you ever get tired of being wrong?
It is what LBJ told me in 1968.
My goodness - then it must be true in 2006! (sarcasm off)
The most disastrous thing for conservatives is for the most part they not get involved with the efforts needed to convince a majority of the voters to their positions.
Finally, common ground - I agree completely.
However, you neglect to point out that when conservatives do make such an effort (see: Specter/Toomey, Chafee/Laffey, Blackwell/Petro, Tom Coburn in OK Senate race, etc.) they have to deal with the leadership of the "conservative" party doing everything possible to cut their legs off. Not an excuse, but you can understand why conservatives, after awhile, choose not to get involved at the precinct or state level.
Then, once our legs have been cut off - the GOP asks us to support their milquetoast candidates? No thanks...
Then after massive defeats they console themselves by thinking the problem was their failure to get their message out.
I think you have us confused with the 'Rats in 2000. And 2002. And 2004.
Conservatives never figure it out. Candidates always try to emulate the positions of those who win races.
My goodness - the GOP is handed control of every branch of government, with the largest voting block giving them that control being conservatives. Then, once in power (first time in 60 years controlling all three branches), the three branches get in a race to see who can abandon conservative principles the fastest.
But in your mind, they are doing this to...get elected??? Isn't the lesson that what they are doing is precisely what will ensure their future defeat? Or am I just being obtuse (movie reference)?
The right never learns from its failures or its successes.
And, obviously, you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
I know you consider yourself a deep political thinker, CT. When you write your book - "Everything I need to know about conservatism I learned from LBJ" - I want an autographed copy.
Outstanding reply.